The 'Toxic' star is claimed to have been preening herself while behind the wheel of her white Mercedes when she ran into the back of a Nissan car at 8.18pm on a Los Angeles freeway.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) accident report: "The collision occurred when the driver of the Mercedes, driving in the number three lane, in stop and go traffic failed to observe the vehicle directly ahead of her come to a complete stop.

"She attempted to brake but failed to stop her vehicle prior to colliding into the rear of the Nissan in front of her."

CHP Officer Patrick Kimball added: "Britney's car collided into the rear of a Nissan, which in turn hit another car."

The 21-year-old driver of the Nissan car told gossip website TMZ.com he had seen the 26-year-old singer putting on her make-up minutes before the crash, but was unsure whether she was still doing so at the time of the crash.

At the scene of the crash, officers gave mother-of-two Britney a field sobriety test which returned a negative result.

Later that evening, Britney and her mother Lynne were driven by Britney's bodyguards to West Hollywood restaurant Dominick's for dinner.

While no injuries were reported, the Nissan driver has confirmed he is considering seeing a chiropractor about a back injury he claimed was caused by the accident.